Hat-Trick Of Half Marathons

11th September 2019

A haematology pharmacist who has seen at first hand the vital work of Cure Leukaemia is taking on a quickfire hat-trick of half marathons to raise money for the charity in Blood Cancer Awareness Month.

Nick Duncan, based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, starts his challenge with the Worcester City Half Marathon on Sunday 15th, followed by a Half Marathon around Stirling on September 28th and the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow 24 hours later.

“I took up running about six years ago and completed the Birmingham Marathon for Cure Leukaemia back in 2017,” says Nick, 47, from Bournville.

“The prospect of doing a whole marathon again was a bit daunting so I thought I would set myself a slightly different challenge this time around.

“I have seen first-hand how Cure Leukaemia funds have allowed us to employ more trials nurses and recruit more patients for clinical trials.

“As part of my pharmacy role within the Centre for Clinical Haematology, I regularly interact with patients who have directly benefitted from being able to take part in these trials.

“I have also been inspired by the phenomenal fund-raising efforts of people like Geoff Thomas and Professor Charlie Craddock and wanted in a small way to further support this hugely important cause.”

As Nick kicks off his challenge this Sunday, both Geoff – a Cure Leukaemia patron - and Charlie, one of the co-founders of the charity, will be on the third day of Cure Leukaemia’s major cycling fundraiser, riding from London to Paris.

All the funds generated by all these challenges will continue to help Cure Leukaemia offer blood cancer patients access to pioneering drug and transplant treatments by funding a network of specialist research nurses across the UK.

Without these nurses, to ensure patients are monitored and cared for, clinical trials of these new treatments would not run and patients, that have exhausted standard treatment options, would miss out on potentially lifesaving therapies.

Every penny raised for Cure Leukaemia helps save lives and also hastens global progress towards the eradication of all forms of blood cancer, which Professor Craddock now believes is a realistic target within the next 15 years.

To support Nick in his running man hat-trick of events, click HERE to visit his fundraising page.